...about this and decided to buy a ticket since I was in the 7-11 for milk. I said, "I would like to buy a lottery ticket." The clerk gave me a bunch of options I didn't understand and I ended up not buying a ticket. Can't you just buy a lottery ticket? What do you have to ask for? I don't believe in or buy them, usually - but I thought a half-billion $$ would make more Progressives win offices!

In this case it is the Powerball lottery. The other national lottery with large jackpots is the Megamillions. Depending on which state you live in then there might be other options and sometimes those lotteries can get past the $100 million mark.

When buying the ticket the clerk may ask "cash option"? If you say yes, then the prize amount is reduced from the advertised amount, but the proceeds are paid in full when you redeem the ticket. If you say no, then the amount is paid over a length of time (I believe it's 20 years). For shrewd investors it usually makes more sense to take the cash option since they can get a rate of return that offsets the reduction in the prize amount.

The other item that a clerk might ask is whether you want a "multiplier"? That means that if you win one of the smaller prizes then the amount will be multiplied based upon the multiplier ball that is drawn (anywhere from twice the amount to five times the amount).

The best I ever did with a lottery purchase was when I paid $2 for two Texas Lotto picks and I won $114 back in the mid 1990s. Fortunately, that occurred near the end of the month when my once-a-month check had already been spent so it allowed me to splurge at the grocery store. Of course, I've lost more than I've won throughout the years.

That's up to the winner and I believe in the PB game you have 60 days to make that decision after you claim the prize...and you have 365 days to claim the prize.

...the clerk pointed to some glass under the counter and it looked like there were between 10-20 choices. I was confused. I am in California. Generally, I don't support lotteries. They do make some people lucky - but many poor people buy a ton of tickets when they can't afford them, just hoping for an end to economic problems.

They are $2 each. You can get as many as you want.

provided by retailers. Players choose their desired numbers on the play slips and the clerk runs them through a machine which generates the ticket with the numbers, and date.

Go to the California lottery website for the details on the lottery game you wish to participate in.

Those tickets are 2.00 each--meaning that two bucks will get you one set of numbers. If you'd want two or three sets of numbers just tell the guy behind the counter that you want $4.00 on Powerball,or $6.00 on Powerball. You don't have to pick numbers,it will be done automatically and is called a quick pick. It's that simple........

...I tried to buy one ticket - so I guess one set of numbers. I was asked about picking the numbers and was not prepared for that option. As far as the type, I said the lottery ticket that was on the news - so I guess it was Powerball.

It was for the one that had the huuuge payout a couple years ago. There were so many people trying buying tickets and I literally had no idea what I was doing. I'm sure it's no big deal and fairly simple, but I was like screw this and just left. Could have been millionaire if only I had more patience

But it does make the jackpot look that much better. We've had PB here when it was still Lotto America. No one has taken those 20 year installment payments since they made the lump sum payment an option.

The lump sump for the next drawing is about $238 million less than the advertised jackpot.

I ain't got that kinda time.

I wonder how many people who win these lotteries invest the money in something. Whether it's traditional investments, starting businesses, property, etc... Always baffled me to hear stories of people who win millions of dollars, but then end up broke at some point.

There is a tremendous amount of good that could be done in the right hands.

that the Lottery is a tax on stupid people. I think it's only a tax on stupid people if you buy more than one ticket for each game. Buying $100 tickets is stupid, OTOH you can't win if you don't enter.

I tend to buy a couple if I pull out a $5.

And you pay taxes on it. I guess you could split it up to give to charities and political candidates (there are limits to that, of course).

And for that kind of money, I'll gladly take the tax hit.

You hear them say that they are going to buy a ticket because it is up to $650 million. They don't play if it is only $25 million. I have never played, but if I did, it would be every week no matter how much it was.

It's only $4 a week. If those numbers ever won and I hadn't played them, I would have to kill myself!

[link:https://www.usamega.com/powerball-jackpot.asp|

Unfortunately, I think not.